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Poseidon Slater (Paraplatyarthrus subterraneus)

The Poseidon slater is a terrestrial isopod in the family Paraplatyarthridae, a group recorded from arid and subterranean environments in Western Australia. Its species-specific habitat and ecology are poorly known, so works in its recorded Goldfields range warrant careful assessment. It is listed as Priority 1 on the WA DBCA priority fauna list, a DBCA priority category rather than a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 1.

Seasonal planning

Seasonal activity, breeding and movement have not been documented for this species. The row below is a general planning note, not a species-specific seasonal window.

Breeding, young, movement and activity months have not been documented for the Poseidon slater.

  • Survey and works planning: No species-specific seasonal information is available. This is a planning reminder to assess risk and apply precautions whenever works are proposed, not evidence of year-round activity.

Identification: Appearance and size

Field identification details for this species are limited.

The Poseidon slater is an oniscidean isopod in the family Paraplatyarthridae. The family has fan-like scale setae on the dorsal body, and leaf-like scale setae and elongated capillary setae on the underside of the second antenna. These are family-level characters. No species-specific size or field identification description has been documented.

Identification: Similar species

No field comparison with similar species has been documented. Several other Paraplatyarthrus species are known from Western Australia, so a small isopod should be identified by an expert before being assigned to this species.

Identification: Field signs

No distinctive surface trace or identifiable shelter has been documented for this species. Record any encountered specimens and their precise collection context for expert verification.

Distribution: Known range

Known records place the species in a very restricted area of Western Australia, but do not identify a named locality.

Atlas of Living Australia records show seven Western Australian records in one distinct 0.1 degree location, at latitude -28.5 and longitude 122.2. These are record-grid coordinates, not a precise collection site. Records outside Western Australia were excluded as likely errors.

Distribution: WA region and status

The DBCA priority list identifies the Goldfields region. The species is Priority 1, meaning it is poorly known and known from few locations, with none on conservation lands according to the DBCA list entry. No national listing is given.

Habitat: Available context

Species-specific habitat details are poorly known. The limited regional and family-level context can help guide habitat assessment.

Paraplatyarthridae have been recorded in terrestrial and groundwater calcretes of central Western Australia. Related fauna also occur in arid terrestrial and subterranean environments. These broader habitat associations do not establish the precise habitat used by P. subterraneus.

Habitat: Site interpretation

Treat calcrete and other subterranean settings within the recorded Goldfields range as potential assessment contexts, not confirmed habitat for this species. Its use of vegetation, soil, moisture conditions and surface landforms has not been documented.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding

The Poseidon slater's food and foraging habitat have not been documented.

Diet, feeding behaviour and foraging locations have not been documented for this species.

Foraging habitat: Assessment precaution

Do not infer food plants, feeding substrates or foraging areas from the common name or general knowledge about woodlice. During site work, record the substrate and immediate setting of any observed specimen without treating that observation as a confirmed dietary association.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Breeding biology is poorly known.

Breeding sites, reproductive behaviour, offspring numbers and breeding months have not been documented for the Poseidon slater.

Breeding habitat: Works planning

Do not assume that any particular season is free of breeding risk. Plan checks and disturbance controls around the work footprint and potential subterranean habitat rather than an undocumented breeding calendar.

Sheltering habitat: Known information

Specific shelter sites used by this species have not been documented.

The broader fauna occurs in terrestrial and subterranean settings, including calcretes, but no shelter type has been identified for P. subterraneus.

Sheltering habitat: Precaution

As a general precaution when assessing small terrestrial invertebrates, check disturbed soil and rock material carefully and avoid unnecessary removal or fragmentation of potentially suitable calcrete. This is a precautionary survey approach, not a confirmed shelter association for the species.

Threats: Known pressures

Specific threats to the Poseidon slater have not been identified.

Species-specific threats, sensitivity thresholds and responses to disturbance have not been documented. Its Priority 1 status reflects that it is poorly known and known from few locations, not a documented threat assessment.

Threats: Potential work effects

Ground disturbance or changes to subterranean conditions may warrant precaution where calcrete or other potentially relevant habitat is present. These are general impact considerations, not confirmed effects on this species.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

No species-specific survey method or detectability information has been documented. Use a cautious approach and record the limits of any assessment.

Check current DBCA priority fauna information and occurrence records for the project area. Atlas of Living Australia records place records in one 0.1 degree cell, which is too coarse to identify an exact collection site.

Survey methodology: 2. Habitat inspection

Have a suitably qualified ecologist assess calcrete and other potentially relevant subterranean or terrestrial settings where they occur in the work area. No validated surface-search protocol or measure of detectability has been documented.

Survey methodology: 3. Recording and identification

If general invertebrate searches or approved sampling encounter small isopods, document the location, date, substrate and collection context, and retain photographs or specimens only where authorised and appropriate. Seek expert identification. Absence from a limited search should not be treated as evidence that the species is absent.

Vegetation associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific vegetation association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations: Calcareous or limestone ground

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

Paraplatyarthridae have been recorded in terrestrial and groundwater calcretes of central Western Australia.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Plan and consult

Resolve uncertainty about the footprint and potential subterranean habitat before clearing begins.

Review the proposed disturbance footprint against occurrence records and current DBCA requirements. Obtain advice from a suitably qualified ecologist where work overlaps the recorded Goldfields range or potentially relevant calcrete settings.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Mark and brief

Where assessment identifies areas requiring protection, clearly mark them and brief clearing crews on the limits of the work area, stop-work arrangements and the procedure for reporting small isopods or unexpected subterranean features.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Control the footprint

Use staged, controlled work and do not treat an undetected animal as proof that the area is unoccupied.

Keep clearing and ground disturbance within approved boundaries. Avoid unnecessary excavation, breakage or removal of calcrete and other potentially relevant material.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Respond to finds

If a potentially relevant isopod or unexpected subterranean feature is found, pause work in the immediate area, protect the find from further disturbance and contact the project ecologist for identification and direction. Follow applicable approvals and procedures before resuming.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Document outcomes

After works, retain records of findings and check that agreed site controls have been implemented.

Record the cleared area, survey effort, observations, identifications and any unexpected features or work interruptions. Clearly state where survey limitations leave the species' presence uncertain.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Review controls

Confirm that retained areas and any agreed protection measures remain intact. Report relevant observations through project and regulatory channels as required by approvals and procedures.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore disturbed ground

No species-specific rehabilitation prescription has been documented.

Rehabilitate disturbed areas in accordance with the project plan and approvals. Surface revegetation alone may not recreate subterranean or calcrete conditions relevant to the species.

Rehabilitation actions: Check and adapt

Where rehabilitation overlaps potentially relevant habitat, document the methods used and any observed changes to ground conditions. Seek ecological advice before handling or relocating fauna or calcrete material.

Sources